The Wicked Witch of the St Mark Hotel
by Lizagna
Summary: Annie is the stepdaughter of Ilsa, manager of the St. Mark Hotel. Forced to compete with her friend Maddie in candy sales, Annie must choose between loyalty to her family or to her friends.


"Anneliese," shouted that horrid voice. "Stehen Sie auf."

It was that Nazi woman that my father had married. She forgets that just because my stupid last name is Von Helsing del Keppelugerhofer, that I don't speak a word of German. For Christ sake, my language in school is Spanish. "What did you say?" I asked, pulling the covers over my head.

"Get up," Ilsa barked. "Don't make me send Blitzkrieg in there!"

Just the threat of Blitzkrieg got me out of bed. That little dog may look like a Hebrew National hotdog, it's an evil wiener with teeth like a piranha. I only met him two days ago but I think I have permanent teeth marks in my leg.

Life just never has gone my way. My parents are divorced and my brother Gunter went to live with my mom in Los Angeles. I got stuck with my German dad who married the Wicked Bitch of the East, Ilsa. My step-mom is the manager of this Boston hotel called the St. Mark and she says that I have to work as a candy girl. I only showed up on Saturday when dad and I moved to Boston from the Big Apple and she puts me to work. "You have to beat the Tipton candy girl Anneliese," she spat in my face. "Or else I will have Blitzkrieg supervise you."

I put on my stupid uniform for that Catholic school called Our Lady of Perpetual Sorrow. Before, I went to public school where your softball sweatshirt and a pair of jeans were more than acceptable. But Ilsa wants to change that. "You Anneliese Marie Von Helsing del Keppelugerhofer will got to a Catholic school," my stepmother dearest hissed at me. "Todd St. Mark and London Tipton go there. So will you my little Anneliese." I am so not her little Anneliese.

I put on the plaid skirt and the blue sweater and walked out of my room. "Don't you look cute," my father chuckled from behind a German newspaper. "Little Annie all grown up."

"I don't look cute, I look like a nerd," I shouted. "And I'm the same sixteen year old I was in New York and LA. Now, keys please."

He laughed. "Breakfast first," he said.

I rolled my eyes and sat down in the kitchen of my stepmother's apartment. I poured myself a bowl of Cheerios and ate quickly. As I went to but my dish in the sink, Blitzkrieg growled at me from under the table. I set my bowl on the floor and he ran quickly to eat up the remains of my breakfast. "You're one demented dog," I muttered as I grabbed my keys and exited before the bitch came.

I took the elevator down and walked out to my Volkswagen in the parking lot. The frosty Boston wind blew my curly brown hair. So much for nice looking hair for my first day at this new school. I got into my car and drove several miles to a school that looked like a medieval castle. One that Ilsa would lock me in the dungeon of if I didn't beat that Tipton candy girl in sales.

I parked in the parking lot and walked into the building. Confused by the inside, I asked a nun for help. "Sister, I'm new here," I said. "My name is Anneliese."

"Yes," said the nun. "I'm Sister Dominick. I will be one of your teachers. I see that you will need a guide." She turned to a girl who was walking past us. "Madeline, help this girl find her way around."

"Yes Sister Dominick," Madeline replied.

The nun walked off. "I'm Anneliese," I introduced myself. "I prefer that people call me Annie."

"I'm Maddie Fitzpatrick," the other girl replied. "Where did you move here from?"

"New York," I said. "My dad got remarried and my stepmom works in Boston. My mom and little brother Gunter live in LA. That's where I was born."

"That's neat," said Maddie. "I've live near Fenway Park so I have a hatred for Yankee fans."

"Dodgers fan," I smiled. "Hate the Yankees."

The bell rang and I had Math first. "Sister Rita teaches us Math," Maddie explained. "She's more laid back then some of the other teachers."

We walked and she told me more about the other teachers. How Sister Dominick favored London Tipton. We walked in and I sat in the one open desk in the classroom. "Annie, this is London Tipton," Maddie said as she pointed to an Asian girl. "And this is Corrie and Mary Margaret."

"Nice to meet you," I said to all of them.

"Are you like a new student or something?" London asked me. "Because you have no taste in fashion."

The heiress made me laugh. "I'm only wearing the school uniform," I replied. If I had my way I'd be going to public high school.

Suddenly, the door the classroom slammed shut. "For those of you who don't know or can't remember," the teacher looked at London. "I am Sister Rita. I believe that we have a new student." The Sister looked at the roll call. "Anneliese V…von H…hel…ls…"

"Don't even try," I laughed. "No one can pronounce it. And I go by Annie."

The sister looked relieved that she didn't have to pronounce my name. I have no idea why my grandpa never Americanized our last name. I used to have people ask me if I was related to Abraham Von Helsing. "Annie, have you learned any trigonometry?" Sister Rita asked.

"Yeah, I was in accelerated math at my old school," I replied. "Learned trig as a freshman."

"Isn't that a little British town?" London inquired. "Trig on Metry? Because isn't math where you add the two little numbers and get a big number."

Boy, she was a dumb heiress.

"Have you graphed trig curves?" the Sister asked.

"Yup," I retorted.

"Well Annie, I think you're going to be a little bored," the sister said with a weak smile.

Sister Rita was right. The class had just learned their Pythagorean identities. It was going to be a long semester in math. As I walked out, the teacher stopped me. "Annie, do you think you could tutor students in math in your free time?" she asked. "You seem to be very solid in you math skills."

Good think she ain't my Spanish teacher because that's a totally different story. "I would be pleased to do it if my stepmother will give me time off from work."

"Wait," said Maddie in a surprised tone. "When did you move here?"

"Saturday," I replied.

"And you have a job already?" she asked.

"Yeah, my stepmom works at a hotel and gave me a job," I retorted. "She wants me to sell candy there."

"Who's your stepmother?" Maddie inquired.

I laughed a mirthless chuckle. "She wants me to call her mommy. But I call her Ilsa."

Maddie's eyes bulged to a point where they looked as if they would fly out of their sockets. What did I say wrong?


End file.
